String-supported figure toy



Sept. 8, 1931. H. w. GRAVES 1,821,957

I STRING SUPPORTED FIGURE TOY Filed April 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l "NIH IH Sept. 8, 1931. H. w. GRAVES STRING SUPPORTED FIGURE TOY Filed April 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 uanta/- 17 17 'Grdve Patented Sept. 8, 1931 zururrse :smrss HENRY W. GRAVES, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA STRING-SUPPORTED FIGURE TOY Application filed April 10,

My-invention relates to the class of toys which are adapted to slide upon strings, and in its general objects aims to provide a toy supported by a string and soconstructed "6 that when descending .by'gravity along an inclined string, the toy will-intermittently vibrate andslide in i a manner imitating movements of a dancer.

Furthermore,- my invention aims to'provide a string'toy in which a repeated series of oscillating and sliding movements during the descent of atoy figure. (or other sliding object) are effected by gravity when the string is held at a suitable'inclination andwith a suitable amount of slackness in the string, without requiring any auxiliary mechanism ormanipulation for this purpose, and in which the lateral oscillation I may also be accompanied by partial gyrating or twisting movements ofthe figure without requiring auxiliary means for producing these movements.

- More particularly, my invention aims to provide a string supported 'slidable' toy of the above recited characteristics which will be quite simple and inexpensive in construction, inw'hich the movement-effecting portion can consist'of a simple sheet metal punching, and in which'the same punching can readilv'be 'attached interchangeably to figures of different configuration and appearance. Furthermore, my'invention aims to provide a proportioning of certain-parts of such a string toy which will permit the string-supported toy figure (or other object) to oscillate both in a verticalplane along theaxis of the'stri-ngand in a plane at right anglesto the aforesaid plane, so that the combined oscillations will somewhat simulate a gyrating movement, and which will make the toy figure highly responsive in its movement-stoa suitable slackening of the string.

' Still further and also more detailed objofcts will appear from the following specistring toy embodying my invention, showing 1931. Serial No. 5251;094.

this as supported in a stationary position by a horizontal string.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged'rear elevation of the metal clip portion and the lower part of the figure portion of the toy of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a similarly enlarged side elevation of the same parts as Fig. 2.

Figs. 1 and 5 are sections taken respectively along the lines 4-4 and 5--5 of Fig. 1, drawn on a larger scale than Figs. 2 and 3.

Figs/6, 7 and 8 are respectively front, side and rear elevations" showing another construction of the clip or string-receiving member, together with a p'artjof the figure portion.

F ig. 9-is a rear elevationof'still another suitable clip construction.

Figs; 10 and 11 are sections taken respectively along thelines l010 and 11-- 11 of Fig. 9, Fig. 11 being drawn on a larger scale.

"Fig. 12 is an enlarged side View of the upper rear portion of the clip member of Figs. 1 to 5.

Figs. 13 to 16 inclusive are sections taken along the line 18-13 of Fig. l2,'sliow iiigthe relative position of the upper part of the clip and ofthe adjacent portions of the string during the manipulation of the string toy of Fig. 1.

Figs. 17 to 21 are fragmentary elevations showing consecutive positions of the upper portion of the clip member and of'the adjacent string portions during the descent of the toy. along an inclined and slightly slack string,"with arrows indicating the direction in which gravity tends to move'the clip by gravity from each of these positions.

"Fig. 22 is asection taken along the line 2222 of Fig. 10, with the clip and the'adjacent string portions in positions similar to those of Fig. 16, and

' Fig. 23 is a'fragmentaryview showing a clipattached to a cardboard figure.

In the illustrated embodiments, I accomplislrtheobjects of my invention mainly through the cooperation of the following features: l

(1) By providing my toy with a string receiving bore which extends flatwise of the:

toy and which has its axis horizontal when the string is horizontal and taut.

(2) By making the diameter of this bore considerably larger in height at least at both ends of the borethan the diameter of the string, so that the toy can rock (in a vertical plane longitudinal of the string) through a considerable angle about either end of the bore.

(3) By disposing the center of gravity of the toy below this bore, and desirably below the middle of the length of the bore, and spacing this center of gravity from the here by relatively short distance in proportion to the length of the toy portion below the bore, so that this center of gravity will swing through a considerable angle during the previously recited rocking of the toy about an end of the bore.

(4) By making the part of the toy below the said bore of relatively heavy material in proportion to the part above the bore, so that a pendulum-like rocking of the toy in the said plane in either direction will produce suiiicient momentum for bending the slightly slack supporting string to permit the rocking of the toy about one end of the bore to continue beyond the point where the engagement of the string by the other end of the bore will tend to halt this rocking.

(5) By making the toy generally flat (in a plane along the axis of the said bore), and desirably by making the upper portion of the toy of large width in proportion to its thickness, so as to offer considerable resistance to a rotating of the toy on the string about the axis of the string.

(6) By constructing my toy of an upper portion of large area simulating a figure of an animal or a doll, and of light material, as for example cardboard, while making the lower and bore-carrying portion of a much heavier material, as for example a metal punching.

(7) By making the figure portion of the toy manually detachable from the string-re eeiving portion, to permit the ready substitution of other figure portions.

Illustrative of such an embodiment Fig. 1 shows a string toy in which the upper part consists of a figure body 1 punched of cardboard configurated and decorated to resemble a jolly cat, together with a downwardly directed stem 2 which is socketed in the lower portion of clip member of the toy.

This clip member comprises a strip of resilient sheet metal formed to present a front 1' connected at its lower end to a back 5; which back has its upper end curved outwardly and then downwardly so that the rearward end portion 5 of the strip bears against the back, while the connection between this end portion 5 A and the back 5 afiords a horizontal bore 6. The width of the back 5 desirably corresponds substantially to the width or" the stem 2 on the figure portion of the toy, and the back 5 is initially formed so that this backor at least portions near each end of the backare spaced from the front t by a distance slightly less than the thickness of the stem 2, whereby the resiliency of the metal will cause the back to clamp the stem against the said clip front 4 when the said stem is slid downward between these clip parts. I also desirably provide side wings 7 extending rearwardly from opposite edges of the front 4- and spaced from each other by distance corresponding to the width of the stem 2 of the figure portion of the toy, so as to prevent lateral movement of this stem within the socket thus formed by the clip.

The horizontal bore 6 thus afforded by the upper clip portion behind and close to the stem of the figure portion of my toy desirably has a width only slightly larger than the diameter of the string 8 which extends through the said toy to complete the assembly of the toy. However, the height of this bore preferably is several times the diameter of this string, so that the axis of the string will be at a considerable angle A (Fig. 13) when the string while taut is inclined just enough so that the string just touches the bottom of one end of bore and the top of the opposite end of the bore.

With the parts thus proportioned and with the string 8 horizontal, as shown in full lines in Fig. 13, thecent-er of the support for the toy will be at the upper edge of the middle of the length or" the bore 6. Consequently, the vertical line G through the center of the support (which line I am here calling the gray;- ity line) will be in the same vertical-plane (at right angles to the general plane of the toy) with the center of gravity C of the toy, so that the toy will remain stationary.

When the string is inclined by lowering the left-hand portion, thereby tending to move the string downwardly away from the top of the bore at the left hand end of the bore, the toy will momentarily be supported only at the right-hand end of the bore, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 13. Consequently, the gravity line will shift to the line G of that figure and the toy will rock about the upper edge of the right-hand end of the herein a counter-clockwise direction. However, it the gravity line G is still to the left of a vertical line through the center of gravity C when the full length of the upper edge of the bore engages the string, as in Fig. 14-, gravity will cause the toy to swing still further in the same direction, this being permitted when the string is not rigidly taut. Moreover, with the momentum gathered during the rocking from the position of Fig. 13 to that of Fig. 14 will also efiect a still further counter-clockwise swinging of the toy on the string, so that the toy (after reaching the position of Fig. 14) will rock about the string at the upper edge of the lefthandend of the bore. Consequently,this momentum will first swing the upper edge of the righthand end of the bore iupw'ardly away from the'string (as in Fig. 14) and thereafter will form two kinks in the strin-g'as shown in Fig. 16.

When the clip is formed of metal or other heavy material, the momentum of the toy will readily carry the initialrocking of the toy in the just recited counter-clockwise direction to such a further extent that/the lower etlge'of the right hand end of the said bore will engage the string with suflicient force for bending the string at a considerable an de adjacent to each end of the -bore, so that t e string will momentarily have its bore-housed portion 8' extendingat 'a greater inclination to the horizontal than the exposed string portions 8 A and 8 13 at opposite sides of the bore. Since the string must be held moderately taut duringthe manipulation of the toy, the impactofthe right-hand bore end whenkinking the string to such an extent, as in 'Fig. 16,'will also cause a rebound, which will cooperate with gravity in them causing the toy to swing in a clockwise direction about the left-hand end of the bore.

However,-tl1is clockwise swinging is in the same general direction in which the string slopes downwardly and in which gravity would tend to'slide the toy if the latter were nbti'ree to'ro'ck as above described. Consequently, as soon as the toy has swungback to the position ofFig. 14, in which the string bears for its fulldength against the upper edge of the bore of thetoy, the'toy will slide downwardly along the string momentarily namel until the clockwise rocking has neto'nly "shifted the jsupport'of'the toy to the right-hand end of the bore, but has also carried the center of gravity C'considerably to the left of the gravity line G 'asin Fig. 19, after which-gravity will again start a counter-clockwise'rocking of the toy in a vertical plane axial of the string. 1 v

In r'actice,the angle at which the string must e held for causing the toy to follow such a cycleof movements will depend both on the-vertical diameter of the bore (in proportion to the length of the bore and the diameterof the string),the location of the center of gravityof the toy with respect to the bore,'andthe slipperiness of the string. However, this angle can quickly be determined even by a child, as also'the amount of permissible slack in'the string, so thatthe user can readily cause the toy during its descent to repeat the "cycle of movements partially indicated by Figs. 17 to 20 inelusive. Y c

For example, startingwith the position of Fig. 17, in which the clip of the toy kinks the string afterthe manner of'Fig. 16 and is the upper edge of the bore for substantially the full length of the bore, as in Fig. 18.

Then a: momentary sliding or skidding along the string while thctoy (because'oi its Inomentu'm) continues its clockwise swin ing until it kinks and cramps the string as in 'l ig. 19, this sliding beingusually of quite short duration inproportion to thetime required for the swinging in eitherdirection. Next,

the rebound and reversalin the direction of rockingto' that of acounter-clockwise swinging until-the bore of th'e toy extends substantiallv parallel to the axis ofthe string portion housed by it,'as in Fig -20, thereby permitting another sudden sliding ofthe toy on the bore until the continued counter clockwise rocking of the toy has reached the point where the string is'again kinked by'thc toy and the toy is again temporarily halted as in Fig. 21. y

Since F ig. 21 corresponds to Fig. 17, this means that the toy during its descent repeats the cycle of evolution's just described in. connection with Figs. 17 to '20. s l

When the body of the toy is formed or decorated to simulate a human or animal figure, this cycle'of movements meansthat the figure during each such repeated cycle'haltshnd leans far over tonne side, thenglides for some distance down the string; next halts and lean-s to the'oth'er side,and then glides or. slides downward again. Moreover, since the string u'sually is manipulated by hand and hencewill sway or fsw'ing somewhat about the aXis of the string, the toy figure also will rocking or swaying movement cooperates with the alternate leaning of the figure to one side and thento the other side-for simulating rhythmic dance movements which appeal to some; while others are moreamused andentertained by the intermittent'recurrence of the gliding and swaying, sogthatzmy toy has been found of interest toolder folksas well asv children.

However, while I have heretofore described an embodiment including details of construction and arrangement which '1 "have found highly suitable, I do not wishtobe limited in" these respects, since many changes might be made withoutdep-arting from the spirit of my invention or from thea'ppended claims.

Fore'Xample, Figs-6, (and Bsho'w a stringsupport-ed clip having a boreaifor ding'loop 11 at the upper e'nd'of'the'back 12; and having spaced wings 13 andM proi'ectingrearwardly from each side edge of the front alongside the lateral i edges 'ofthe' back to stiifen the resulting socket. In this case, the stem 20f the figure extends downward only for a portion of the height of this socket, and portions of front and back of the clip bowed so that they curve the said stem between them.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 show a form of clip in which the front 10 has wings 16 and 17 extending rearwardly from the opposite side I edges adjacent to the upper end of the front cept in that the string may at times catch on the inner edges of the wings 16 and 17 unless the ends of the bores in these wings are more carefully kept free of burrs.

Moreover, I do not wish to be limited to the use of a string-receiving member which is detachable from another portion of my string toy, since a corresponding bore-affording part might be secured permanently to the figure portion of the toy. For example, Fig. 23 shows a generally U-shaped metal clip 20 fastened to the lower portion of a cardboard figure 21 by rivets 22, the bend of the clip being formed to afford the needed string-receiving bore. Since the cost of the slip is consid- 5 crably reduced, this embodiment may be suitable where the part attached to the clip presents a considerable portion thereof below the string-receiving bore, so that less weight of metal is required in the clip for lowering the center of gravity of the assembled toy to a suitable distance below the string.

However, in practice, I prefer to make the string-receiving portion detachable, both because this reduces the stock of assembled parts i which the manufacturer needs to carry and because it also permits usersof the toy to cutout other figures and attach them interchangeably to my clips.

I claim as my invention:

1. A toy adapted to slide down an inclined string with intermittent rocking and gliding movements, comprising a generally fiat upright toy figure, and means fast uponthe said figure for affording a horizontal bore extending parallel to the plane in which the figure is flattened; the bore being disposed near and above the center of gravity of the toy and relatively short with respect to the width of the figure.

2. A string-sliding toy as per claim 1, in which the bore has a height several times that of the diameter of the string and a width slightly larger than the said diameter.

3. A string-sliding toy as per claim 1, in

' which the center of gravity of the toy is approximately in vertical alinement with the longitudinal middle of the bore.

4. A string-sliding toy as perclaim 1, in which the greater portion of the figure extends above the said bore, and in which the means affording the said bore comprise a metal member having its major portion disposed below the bore.

5. A string-sliding toy comprising an upright figure of light material; and a metal member attached to the said figuie and formed to present two spaced bore portions alined on a horizontal axis spaced upwardly from the center of gravity of the figure by a short distance in proportion to the height of the said figure, each bore portion having an interior height considerably greater than the diameter of the string.

6. A string-sliding toy as per claim 5, in which the said member presents the said bore portions behind the figure.

7. A string-sliding toy as per claim 5, in which the major portion of the figure is disposed above the said bore portions.

8. Astring-sliding toy, comprising a toy figure having a depending stem, and a resilient clip including a clip front and a clip back clamping the said stem between them; the clip back having a portion thereof formed for affording a horizontal bore of larger interior height than the diameter of the string upon which the string is to slide.

9. A string-sliding toy,'comprising a toy figure having a depending stem, and a resilientclip including a clip front and a clip back clamping the said stem between them; the clip back being recurved upon itself to provide a horizontal bore.

10. A string-sliding toy, comprising a toy figure having a depending stem, and a iesilient clip including'a clip front and a clip back clamping the said stem between them; the clip back being recurved upon itself to provide a horizontal bore; the said bore having a horizontal diameter only slightly larger than the diameter of the string upon which the toy is to slide, and having a vertical diameter at least twice as large as the said diameter of the string.

11. A string-sliding toy, comprising a toy figure having a depending stem, and a resilient clip including a clip front and a clip back clamping the said stem between them; the clip back being recurved upon itself to provide a horizontal bore; the said bore having its axis spaced upwardly from the center of-gravity of the toy by a distance not greater than twice the length of the bore.

12. A string-sliding toy, comprising a toy figure having a depending stem, and a resilient clipincluding a clip front and a clip back clamping the said stem between them; the clip back having its upper portion formed for afiording a horizontal bore disposed above the center of gravity of the toy, the clip also including Wings extending rearwardly from the opposite side edges of the clip front to prevent a lateral movement of the said stem in the clip.

13. A string-sliding toy, comprising a toy figure having a depending stem, and a resilient clip including a clip front and a clip back clamping the said stem between them; the clip back having a portion thereof formed for afi'ording a horizontal bore of larger interior height than the diameter of the string upon which the string is to slide; and means fast upon the clip and disposed for laterally engaging the said stem to prevent a lateral shifting of the stem ,in the clip.

Signed at Montreal, Canada, April 7th,

HENRY W. GRAVES. 

